


Can't Help Falling in Love

by Catatonica



Series: The Taste of Copper [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Fluff, Loving Marriage, Marriage, Romance, Romantic Fluff, just love in this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:41:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27540052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catatonica/pseuds/Catatonica
Summary: One city, one mission - one marriage. In intimate togetherness you are on a secret mission with your husband, and as so often happens, it turns out quite differently than you initially expected.
Relationships: Charlotte Katakuri/Reader
Series: The Taste of Copper [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2012350
Kudos: 33





	Can't Help Falling in Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is the last part of the ToC series, thank you for reading!

"You have exactly three seconds. Stand. Immediately," you hissed over your coffee cup. It was early, much too early and the girls were already wide awake, of course. Candis and Calla looked at each other and a cheeky grin told you that you couldn't win the discussion this early. They had taken the big jar of sweets from the sideboard and were already about to put their little hands in it.  
"No sweets for breakfast," you insisted and the glass sank down a little, but the twins still took a ponderous look at each other. "Katakuri, you say something."  
A pair of indignant red eyes lay on you while your husband - as exhausted as you - stirred in his coffee.  
"I used to eat sweets as a child," he replied quietly and angrily you kicked him against his shin under the table. "Ow, damn it- Stop kicking me!"  
"First, don't swear!" you hissed angrily. "Two: That's great, now they'll only eat sugar for breakfast every day."  
He sighed up, not daring to respond. You were easily driven to rage, caused by lack of sleep and two little devils. Your children were only six years old, but the twins were known throughout Totto Land for their endless energy. Two wonderful girls, but they were a small force of nature. No stone was left unturned and they had only stupid things on their minds, mostly dangerous stupid things!  
"Please tell me you'll be home before bedtime," you almost begged him. "If I have to put them in the bathtub alone one more time..."  
"You know I can't promise anything."  
A clink made you wince and you looked at the twins standing next to the remnants of the jar of candy. Immediately the screaming started and before you knew it they chased each other around the dining table, clamoring and squealing. You buried your face in your hands and took a deep breath, trying not to let your strained patience thread break.  
"Girls, do you know who is coming to visit me at the factory today," Katakuri asked and your daughters stopped running and looked at him curiously.  
"Who?", Candis asked immediately. "Aunt Smoothie?"  
"No, Aunt Smoothie."  
"Oh, Uncle Peros?! He always gives us lollipops!"  
"Cracker comes by, together with Nori," Katakuri solved the riddle and the girls squealed happily. They adored Cracker's son Nori because he was the same age and seemed to be the only child who could stand their escapades. "Go ahead, let your mother drink her coffee in peace."  
He grabbed the girls, put a giggling child under his arm and gave you a kiss on the corner of your mouth. You formed a mute 'Thank you!' with your lips and watched your family, a warm feeling in your chest. That you would end up like this, with two wonderful daughters and a husband who would do anything to make you happy. At your wedding 14 years ago you hated him so much, you were so unhappy and now you were here, looking at him and asking yourself how you deserved this happiness.  
Despite all the happiness and the family atmosphere you were dead tired and the moment the front door closed you slammed your head on the table and fell asleep immediately.  
  


"Miss." Startled, you drove up and saw in Magda's amused face. She stood next to you, had put one hand on your back and woke you up as gently as possible. "Visitor for you."  
"What?" you muttered sleepily and yawned heartily. "Who?"  
"Miss Galette."  
"Oh... Yeah, okay. What time is it?" you asked, and you sat up, smoothing out your wrinkled top.  
"It's past noon," Magda replied, and opened the windows, let in the sunlight, and you groaned desperately. You had slept until after noon? That threw your whole day's plan off!  
"You look awful." Galette walked into the dining room and you gave her a brief, but clearly annoyed look. Let her raise two girls with the energy of a medium-sized pirate gang!  
"What's up," you growled angrily and with a mischievous smile, Galette sat down opposite you and Magda immediately handed her a coffee.  
"Mama asked me to come and see you, there is a task for you two - if you agree."  
At that moment you heard the sound of spores in the hallway and as Katakuri walked along the open dining room door you moaned loudly.  
"What have they done?" you asked your husband. He stopped, two snow-white children in his arms and visibly in a bad mood. He himself was also covered with flour from top to bottom, and the soft giggling of the girls did not necessarily make the sight any better.  
"What do you think?" he asked coolly.  
"Bathtub," you sighed and nodded towards the girls' bedroom. "Magda, would you be so kind..."  
"Why, of course." The housekeeper scurried over to Katakuri and picked up the two girls, gave them rebuking looks and led them to the bathroom.  
"Really, to cause your parents such trouble...", you heard them rant angrily and Katakuri sat down with you. Galette had to refrain from laughing, you could tell by the twitching of the corners of her mouth - but when Katakuri was so annoyed, it was better to keep your mouth shut.  
"So, what's up?" you turned to your sister-in-law again.  
"Mom has a job for you. She wants you to meet Umit's supervisor.  
"She has Mont d'Or, why do we have to go?" you said.  
"He's away on another matter for two weeks and Smoothie has already turned him down."  
"For how long?" Katakuri asked.  
"Not too long. Journey and return together four days, stay no more than two or three days."  
You looked at your husband and put on a thoughtful face. A dangerous mission for you and Katakuri, all alone together? So far away from the archipelago?  
"I can't let our monsters--"  
"Children," Katakuri corrected you softly.  
"Our- Yes, our children." You gave him a quick sideways glance and cleared your throat, "I can't leave our beloved children in someone else's care while we're on the other side of the Grand Line in some city!  
You let your own words sink in, thought about it. A whole week in which you could sleep in, not having to run after the little monsters non-stop?  
"Okay, fine. Let's do it."  
  


"It's much too loud," you muttered to your pillow and sighed deeply. Since the early hours of the morning you tried to sleep, but the big city was just too lively for you to close one eye. Katakuri, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind in the least, he was still fast asleep next to you, even your voice hadn't woken him as usual. For a moment you watched the constant raising and lowering of his upper body and the beginnings of a loving smile crept up on your face. He must have been really exhausted from his role as a father, but who could blame him with two such vivacious young girls like yours.  
A short stab went through your chest as you thought of the twins. Never before had you spent a day without them. It was unusual that they hadn't been jumping on you since five o'clock in the morning, demanding attention.  
You peel out from under the blanket as quietly as possible and cast a glance out of the window - the street was vibrating with life and the chattering and talking of the people on the street even reached your hotel room. A sigh almost escaped you, you thought of the previous evening. Your arrival in Water Seven had been without incident and you had been looking forward to a fiery night in your hotel room, so far away from the children and in intimate togetherness with your husband - far from it! When your bodies touched the bed you were already in a state of exhaustion and fell asleep, a clear sign of the exhaustion of the past six years. A child with such a blessed temperament would have been enough, but instead you were given two bundles of energy. They kept you on your toes every day, you had to watch them every step of the way; if you let them out of your sight for even a moment, it was usually too late. You wouldn't want to miss your two daughters for anything in the world, but they were exhausting.  
"Katakuri," you muttered tiredly and put a hand on his chest to wake him up. He flinched under your touch and turned on his side.  
"Five minutes, girls," he growled and pulled the pillow over his head. "Five more minutes."  
You couldn't resist a laugh now, for the best of reasons, and you pushed the pillow down from him, pressed a short kiss on the corner of his mouth.  
"It's already after noon," you said gently, and at last he seemed to understand that it was not his stormy daughters who had woken him. "Let's go and have some lunch."  
He yawned and the scars on the corners of his mouth tightened, a spectacle you had long since gotten used to. The fearsome Katakuri - to you he was just a lovable and devoted man, made for you. And handsome too, because his 54 years were hardly visible. Sure, there were a few wrinkles here and there, but you couldn't escape them either. Still, you could spend the whole day staring at him, running your fingers through his shaggy red hair and admiring the still hardened muscles. When you now, after 14 years of marriage, thought about your wedding - you could only laugh about it. The fear of that time had completely disappeared and all that remained was love for this man and the love for your two beautiful daughters. Candis had inherited his red hair and you had the assumption that her wild mane was also due to his genes. You smiled at the thought of a long haired Katakuri and when you thought about it Candis was just like her father. She was quiet and a bit reserved, extremely intelligent and she thought twice before she did something stupid. Calla, on the other hand, was a real tomboy, constantly dragging her sister into the biggest trouble, almost like you did as a child. What's more, Calla had your hair color and your eyes - hopefully she didn't inherit your youthful temperament, because as a teenager you had been a real pain in the ass!  
"Still tired?", you asked your dozing husband and he just nodded wordlessly. "Okay, I'll go ahead then, my stomach is growling."  
After another kiss you stood up and squeezed yourself into your clothes. On soles as quiet as possible you crept through the room, took a last look at Katakuri - who seemed to be fast asleep again - and finally closed the door behind you.  
The small forecourt of the Chiza Hotel was really a feast for the eyes, with all the fountains and water channels sparkling in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day, neither too hot nor too cold, and a pleasant wind ruffled your hair. In itself a perfect opportunity to explore the beautiful city of Water Seven a little bit, you thought and decided to take a little walk down the street. Maybe you found a small café or restaurant? Your stomach growled in joyful approval at the thought of food and so you set off, sunglasses on your nose and as inconspicuous as possible.  
  
Many tourists were to be found and after a look in the store windows you also realized why: Noble boutiques lined up next to each other, followed by ridiculously expensive cafés and antique stores. Astonished, you strolled from store to store, twisting the corners of your mouth downwards when you saw all the expensive things. Too bad you had a job in Water Seven, too bad you'd like to try some of these things on! Although they probably wouldn't even fit, you were more than twice the size of the average human woman.  
A little disappointed you sighed and shrugged your shoulders when you turned around and almost ran into someone.  
"Ah, sorry!", you apologized immediately and looked down. A blond man in a suit looked up at you, a cigar at the corner of your mouth and a surprised look in his blue eyes.  
"Nothing happened," he replied, and he seemed to be seriously surprised at your size. "My mistake, I really should have seen you."  
"Everything is fine," you assured him with a gentle smile and you thought you could see a touch of red in his face. "Before I forget, is there by any chance a restaurant or cafe around here where it doesn't cost a small fortune to get something to eat?"  
The man laughed, rubbed his neck - my goodness, was he embarrassed? - and then nodded to the east.  
"Two streets down," he said and pointed in that direction to make it clear. "There's a little restaurant there, it's chic but not as expensive as those tiny sheds here in the tourist trap.  
"You seem to know your way around here," you replied friendly and looked down the street.  
"I've been living here all my life, you know your way around here," he replied, grinning at you crookedly. "Pauly. Pleased to meet you."  
"Thanks a lot for your help, Pauly." You also told him your name and gave him a friendly nod. "Since I'm only in Water Seven for a short time, I don't want to lose all my savings to a cafe."  
"That's understandable. As I said, it's just two streets down," he repeated. "Take a left up there and then the first right."  
"Thank you," you shouted over your shoulder, waved good-bye to him and walked down the street, driven by your miserable growling stomach and a dry throat. The blond man looked at you for a moment, then scratched his head - embarrassed in the face of such a beautiful woman - and went his own way in the opposite direction.  
It didn't take long before the tempting smell of food rose into your nose and your stomach rumbled violently, craving for this heavenly-scented delicacy. Left, then right again - and indeed, you were standing directly in front of a small restaurant. It had a small terrace and the wooden furniture looked more than just comfortable. Red geraniums adorned the front of the store and you sat down at one of the tables, a little out of the way in the shade. The midday sun was burning down on Water Seven, but the shade was pleasant and a cheerful waitress immediately jumped up to hand you the menu.  
"What can I serve you to drink," she chirped in a good mood and you hurriedly skimmed the menu. "Some water and... Ehm."  
The good weather and your good mood spurred you on a little too much, so you threw your inhibitions overboard for the first time in years. "And some wine, please. Red."  
"And to eat?"  
"Pasta." Inside you hoped that this seductive smell really came from pasta, but no matter - as long as it was edible, you wanted it! Pasta was always a good choice, especially if you didn't know the restaurant or the menu. The waitress scurried away, only to appear right back at your table, a narrow glass of water in one hand and a bulbous glass of wine in the other.  
"Thank you." You accepted your wine and curiously held a nose inside. It smelled of alcohol, as you would expect. But also... fruity? Carefully you sipped the drink and sipped lightly, trying to taste something like a real connoisseur.  
"Yep, that's wine," you gurgled and shook your head. You weren't very well versed in such things as the taste of wine, so Perospero would have been the right person to talk to.  
Your gaze wandered across the small side street where you were now sitting, watching people scurrying back and forth between the stores on the main street, chatting and enjoying the nice weather. Whether Katakuri had woken up yet? Would he find you at all with all this hustle and bustle?  
You took another sip of wine and noticed how he caught you on an empty stomach. Damn, you really should have waited until you had something to eat in front of you. As a half-Russian, you were quite able to drink, but on an empty stomach in this heat? Your husband wouldn't like that at all...  
A meeting was planned for the evening. A meeting with Umit's superintendent, an important personality of the underground. The shipping magnate had been trading with Big Mom for a long time and it was time to negotiate the new tariffs. Normally it was Mont-d'Or who took care of these matters, but he was on his way elsewhere and so it was up to you and Katakuri. After his defeat at the straw hat, your husband had not lost his rank as commander, but he had been relieved of some of his duties - luckily for you. Now, apart from being Sweet Commander, he was only Minister of Flour, your husband and father of two daughters. This allowed him to spend much more time with the girls, a fact that was very important to him. Big Mom had not earned the title of Mother of the Year and he never wanted to be like her. He had learned from his own mother's mistakes and you would never have thought he was such a loving father. He would do anything for his girls and woe betide anyone who wanted to harm his children!  
The cheerful waitress showed up again, a big plate of pasta in her hands and you gratefully took it from her. Even before she could wish you a good appetite, you threw yourself on the food. It tasted simply heavenly!  
"Wine?" You looked up, but didn't bother to wipe the sauce off your face. Katakuri was standing in front of you, his hands buried in your pockets and you drew your brows together in irritation. When did he start wearing t-shirts? Granted, he looked more than just tempting: Katakuri in a tight black shirt and, to make matters worse, it was as tight against his muscles as a second skin. Was this man really 54?  
"I let myself be tempted a little," you admitted and wiped your mouth in the face of your handsome husband with the served food. He sat down with you, looked much more rested and you looked at him curiously once more.  
"What's with the shirt," you finally asked, simply couldn't stop your curiosity. "I think t-shirts confine you too much?"  
"What choice do I have?" he replied. "My tattoos have a certain recognition value and since we are not supposed to draw attention to ourselves..."  
"I hate to say it, but we are more than twice the size of normal people," you said with an amused tone. "We stand out whether we like it or not."  
"But we don't have to provoke it." Katakuri twisted his eyes, you could see that yourself behind the sunglasses. Also an unusual sight, Katakuri with his dark sunglasses. Now he had completely disappeared behind the scarf, plus the dark glasses... That really gave you some very interesting thoughts.  
"Where's the meeting place," you asked and watched Katakuri waving at the waitress, who was a little intimidated by his huge stature.  
"I'll have a glass, too," he turned to her, and when she hurriedly jumped away, he turned to you. "A restaurant in the upper district, quite expensive. Many civilians, so no danger of escalation."  
"Then you pull one... suit?", you asked and had to drown a delighted squeak in your wine. "With your shirt on?"  
"Yes." He didn't seem thrilled by your apparent joy. It was no secret that Katakuri preferred to wear his vest and black leather pants. Even in winter, he would sometimes complain about the tight sleeves of his coat, and even though snow was extremely rare in the archipelago, when it came, even the billionaire Berry had to get his coat out of the closet. Seeing him in a suit was a real first, and you had the faint suspicion that he had to borrow the good piece from one of his brothers.  
  


The restaurant was, in short, simply stunning. With big eyes you looked around, looked at the lush flower arrangements and the golden ambience. You had hooked into Katakuri and let him guide you through the room, hardly knowing where to look first. One of the tables in the corner was your seat and you fell onto one of the chairs, still with your mouth slightly open in amazement.  
"They even have a band," you mumbled to your husband and nodded towards the stage. "That's just so peachy, my goodness..."  
"Terrible," he replied, and you could feel the bad mood he was in. He often tightened his shoulders and fiddled with the sleeves of the shirt, just for your amusement. Katakuri looked simply stunning in his black suit! Too bad he would probably never wear something like that again, the way he lined up at that moment and snarled irritably into his scarf - you could definitely get used to this sight, though!  
Promptly, you got two glasses of expensive champagne in front of your nose and you had to control yourself not to pull a face. Champagne really wasn't your first choice when it came to drinks, but in such an expensive restaurant it was appropriate to drink the sparkling stuff whether you wanted to or not.  
"You look beautiful," he whispered to you and you gave him a short but very warm and loving look. He was not a great charmer, he never would be and a compliment from his mouth meant an incredible amount to you. That he even noticed your elegant dress made you blush a little, almost as if you were a young thing again. Rarely did he bother to compliment your clothes, a pleasant change of pace that evening! Was the romantic atmosphere in this restaurant supposed to soften him up?  
A light sigh escaped you and once again you felt the warm feeling of honey in your chest, as golden and sweet as the day you realized how much you loved this man. The gooey love song that resounded through the room did not make it better, it strengthened you even more in the certainty that you never wanted to be without him again.

  
  
_Like a river flows surely to the sea_  
_Darling so it goes_  
_some things are meant to be_  
_take my hand, take my whole life too_  
_for I can't help falling in love with you_

  
  


It was a beautiful song and actually it expressed exactly what you wanted to tell Katakuri over and over again but never found the right words. You were content for the moment to look him dreamily in the eyes, trying to make him feel how happy you thought you could call him your husband.  
"Shiho sends his apologies." One of the waiters leaned down a little to the two of you and poured some champagne. Katakuri looked at the man suspiciously, but he didn't let it dissuade him. "An important matter has come up. He will contact Ms. Yonkou and arrange a new appointment."  
Ms. Yonkou? What a flattering form of address for Big Mom, you thought mockingly.  
"So we came here for nothing?" Katakuri replied softly and with a threatening undertone. The waiter was by no means impressed by the mute threat, but just nodded patiently, hinting at a bow.  
"The cost of food and lodging will be borne by Master Umit. He asks forgiveness for the circumstances many times".  
You watched the waiter leave and then looked at Katakuri. He gnashed his teeth barely noticeably, a sign of extreme impatience and irritability. Soothingly, you placed a hand on his arm and gave him an encouraging smile.  
"A free meal in such a nice restaurant, it could have been worse," you said and his tense muscles seemed to relax a little.  
"I got dressed up for nothing," he replied and you heard the slightest hint of amusement. "Enjoy it while you can, it will never happen again. I hate it."  
"I was afraid so," you admitted and sipped on your champagne glass. "And you look so handsome in a suit."  
"It's uncomfortable. It's not fit for fighting."  
"There will be no fighting tonight," you scolded him gently. "Tonight you're having dinner with your wife, so don't be a pussy."  
Katakuri realized you were right and he even agreed to drink a toast with you. When you were back in your own home, there was just the hunting of the kids, the work on Flour Island and the seriousness of life, so why not enjoy this evening to the fullest and be a normal married couple for at least one day?  
"So, we're going home tomorrow?" he asked after a short break and you folded immediately.  
"Yes, please!", you agreed immediately. "I miss my babies so much!"  
And it was true: your children were the purest bundle of energy, but not having them bouncing around you was terrible. With every fiber of your heart you wished back the cheeky laughter, the clinking of destroyed objects and the giggling when they had stolen something sweet from the kitchen again.  
"I knew it, you barely lasted three days," Katakuri teased you immediately and you nodded eagerly. The return trip would take two whole days, then you'd been separated from the twins for five whole days!  
"You miss them too, admit it," you replied and caught him evading your gaze but nodded in agreement.  
"It's really very quiet without them," he admitted. "It's... unusual."  
"Do you think Cracker is still alive at all," you asked and a grin came over your face at the thought of the overstrained Cracker. His son Nori was a quiet little boy, but your daughters were a small force of nature together. Was he able to cope with that?  
"I'm sure he will never look after them again," Katakuri said. "We're running out of babysitters."  
"I guess you're right..." you agreed with him meekly. "Galette refuses to take care of them for more than three hours, Mont-d'Or has been refusing on principle ever since they set him on fire and they only listen to Peros and Compote.  
Katakuri was silent for a moment when you listed all the other people who had already been introduced to the destructive power of your daughters, he stared into his glass and you could clearly see the smile on his scars.  
"We have two great girls," he suddenly said softly. The warmth in his voice left you speechless for a moment and a violent wave of affection for him rolled over you, choking everything but the sweet honey in your chest.  
"Yes, we did," you agreed with a dreamy smile and your eyes met for a moment.  
"I love you." The words came over your lips before you even realized them, it just burst out of you. With these words you both didn't exactly throw around, but mainly because you knew that he was not a man of great vows of love. But at that moment you just couldn't help it, you had to tell him as clearly as you could.  
"I know you did." You saw the twitching of the scars and if the scarf wasn't in the way, he would show you a rare, broad smile. It didn't matter if he told you how much he loved you, it didn't matter. He showed it to you again every day through all the little gestures. Every morning he would give you a cup of coffee, keep the girls busy until you had finished your first cup, and without exception every evening he would kiss you on the lips, a silent testimony of his feelings for you.  
It was the little things that mattered, not what he said. The loving little things in your everyday life that proved his love for you, you were infinitely grateful for them - and proud. Only you were given these attentions, no one else. No adult person he had ever treated or would ever treat like this, only you alone had taken this place in his heart. You knew each other for fourteen long years and you were married for the same length of time. All the initial difficulties were just a faded memory and what remained was all the more beautiful, so much more precious and it was a feeling that you both never thought possible.

  
_For I can't help falling in love with you..._


End file.
